The purpose of the Collaborative Research Center for American Indian Health Transdisciplinary Pilot Grants Program (PGP) is to support pilot projects that align with the CRCAIH goals and priorities and have a high probability of leading to meaningful results and sustainability. The PGP will be a significant mechanism to help stimulate the development of transdisciplinary research and will provide the impetus for collaborative between CRCAIH partners, as well as increase the circle of partners throughout the grant period. Current federally funded efforts to stimulate the research infrastructure in North Dakota and South Dakota (e.g., National Institute of Minority Health & Health Disparities Centers of Excellence), have created a cadre of scientists well posed to advance their science through transdisciplinary research methods in direct collaboration with Tribal communities. The upper Midwest (SD, ND, MN) is a region that traditionally has difficulty being competitive for large-scale funding and is dependent upon infrastructure building and preliminary data generating mechanisms. Currently, there are no other federally-funded centers in the region that have a mechanism for granting pilot projects. The PGP will serve as a key resource for project support. The existing resources in the region coupled with the health-care environment and clinicians leads to a prime opportunity for enhanced transdisciplinary research in American Indian health.